we begin tonight with breaking news in america's coal mining country. we now know today's deadly mine explosion in west virginia has claimed the lives of at least seven workers. that number could rise substantially. at this hour, rescue teams are working frantically in search of 19 unaccounted for workers. it was mid afternoon, 3:00 p.m. at the end of the day shift when a massive explosion ripped through the mountain. miner steve smith was near the blast. >> it was almost like a tornado. we got -- it stopped us dead because we couldn't go any farther because there was so much air coming towards us. we couldn't move. we had to turn around and back up and go back out the other way. >> reporter: another witness said the explosion caught the mountains on fire. first responders on the scene began a frantic rescue operation. helicopters in the landing zone took the injured and dead to nearby hospitals and morgues. the early reports, seven miners were killed and at least 19 are missing, trapped in the mine. and as so often in coal country, over the years, the